Hillside Herbals

Monday, March 31, 2014

One herb comes immediately to mind, where the getting of
the herb was very much part of my experience with using the herb. For what could possibly bring one
closer to getting to know and “using” anything intimately, if one does not make
an encounter with that desirable wild thing – whatever it is- in its own
element, first. We’ve about all lost
those experiences of encountering wild things, including plants in their
element. Without those intimate experiences, I believe, we have lost our
appreciation of the full meaning and value of what we have in our hands before
us, because we haven’t experienced simply, getting it. For example, compare the
experience of opening a 1 pound plastic bag of cut and sifted Lemon Balm, to cutting
handfuls of fresh Lemon Balm growing in the filtered sunlight of a border
garden in late spring. Then, you know what I’m talking about.

So, it was true with Burdock. Large fuzzy-leaved and
intrusive in my garden scape surrounding my impressive deck, one spring I
decided it needed to go and I was going to get it. Get it all. Besides, what a
better time is there to dig it out, root and all, than spring? I had dug
Dandelion roots before, and I knew they were no small ticket for getting an
earth-bonding experience.I knew I could
handle this Burdock, or so I thought. I was ready. I grabbed my shovel and off
I started. Spadesful after spadesful I
worked around the thick-necked central tap root. Down, down I went into the
earth as I had to enlarge the circle as I went to loosen the hold that the soil
had on this massive root. Deeper and deeper down into the earth I carefully
shoveled to reach the narrowing end of the now branching taproot. Challenged not to prematurely break off the
tap root I carefully continued on and on into the afternoon of that bright
spring day.

Is there something about getting down to the “root of the
matter”, or finding the “root cause”, or the “root of the problem”? Is it no
wonder that roots are our source for solving problems? And, so it is true with
Burdock. “Burdock is truly a superior
tonic herb, both as a preventative and as a medicinal plant”, says Rosemary
Gladstar (1). Historically, Burdock has been traditionally used as a “blood
purifier”, and liver tonic. In fact, Burdock carries more antioxidant activity
than most vegetables and has demonstrated prebiotic properties that may improve
health (2). David Hoffman writes (3) and many herbalists agree that Burdock is
a valuable remedy for the treatment of skin conditions that result in dry and
scaly patches mostly effective for psoriasis if used over a long period of
time. Dr. Bove (4) includes Burdock in her herbal remedies for cradle cap, cold
sores and eczema for children. Deb Soule, a beloved herbalist of mine, from
Maine, writes that Burdock tea or tincture is nourishing for the liver and
kidneys and promotes digestion and appetite through the bitter stimulation of
digestive juices and the secretion of bile while it helps eliminate ingested
chemicals and waste materials (5).It
seems plain and simple: Roots are our roots for health maintenance and
well-being. So, how did I use that wild Burdock root that I spent all day
spading the soil for? I grated it fresh, and then, dried it, and, then put it
in a jar next to my stove in the kitchen. Over this past winter, I took a
handful, and would throw it into my stews in which I made many. I did it over
and over again. Its nutty earthy flavor penetrated the broth. No one
complained. Everyone heartily ate. The little grated roots tasted like ground
meat, frankly. No one knew. And, I didn’t tell. They didn’t need to know. And,
that was ok. Yes, experience it, to know, first.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Winter Health is about building your immune system so that your body can do what it needs to do to keep you strong, vibrate and healthy. There are many herbs that have the power to support, build and heal us in this way. How can we do this that is realistic and do-able? Often, there is "information-overload". Where can we begin?

I have found that people can best incorporate the healing herbs, much like we can of our culinary herbs, when we include them in our everyday diets and cooking.

My thinking is that herbs shouldn't be thought of as a supplement but a rather a compliment. Just step back and take a look at how far we Americans have come, pertinent to using herbs in cooking. "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" may have first become popular through a Paul Simon song, but we are familiar with them and enjoy these herbs, particularly, through the winter months. More recently, we have come to love Basil as a Pesto, over fresh Tomatoes, and in sauces, and Cilantro the distinct aromatic herb that we savor in fresh Salsas. There are many more as we have become exposed to culinary delights of other cultures and nations.

Fresh Picked Dandelion Root

So, now it has come time to celebrate the roots! As the herbs have made their way into our cooking, let's use the roots as compliments in our sauces, soups and stews, instead of something that we find in the dreaded medicine cabinet. (i.e. How many of us really like taking a cupful of pills every day?)

There are many "immune soup" recipes out there. In common, these immune soup recipes use roots and often mushrooms as their ingredients. Any of them can cook up into dense broths that are either frozen in cubes to be added later, or used that same day. A very hearty soup can result by adding vegetables, beans, potatoes or whatever is available. It's really truly hearty!

The roots come from near and far. Much more has been researched in the East so they are better known. I trust with time we will discover that there are western herbs with equal power and strength.
Right now our best known roots for immune support are Burdock and Dandelion, particularly.

Anyway, here is a list of the roots and mushrooms that have been used in various recipes that I have found:

Dandelion , Burdock, Astragalus, Ginseng, Ginger, Fo-ti, Chinese Bellflower and Ashwaganda. Popular mushrooms are Reishi, Red Reishi, Chaga, and Shitake.
Fresh garlic is often added as part of the base.

Burdock leaf and flowers.

The ratio of roots to water can vary. For a dense broth use 1-2 cups of roots/mushrooms/garlic for every quart of liquid. Simmer the roots in the water very slowly for a minimum of 1 hour. Preferable longer.
Strain, and either create your hearty soup or place in ice cube trays and freeze to make immune-cubes to put in future soups, stews and sauces.

Take the above ingredients and simmer them covered in a pot with 2 quarts of water. Simmer slowly on low heat for at least 1 hour and strain. Make into a hearty soup, freeze in cubes or drink 1 cup daily as a tonic.

(This recipe is from a wonderful book filled with herbal wisdom and science: The Wild Medicine Solution; Healing with Aromatic, Bitter, and Tonic Plants by Guido Mase (2013, Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vt.)

Wild-Harvesting your own Dandelion and Burdock roots are do-able here in the Northeast US. This is best done in the very early spring or later fall. Their roots are can be very long (+12") and thick when over 1 year old. They often need a good heavy spade and lots of patience. Once dug they need to be scrubbed clean. I grate the root fresh and then dry the grated root in a very low oven. I find this easier than trying to cut into a whole dried root.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Our opening day was beautiful. People were so happy to come out and feel sunshine. New England gave us a long winter this year. Despite global warming, there was a bit of lingering chill and snow on the ground. I had snow on our fields the beginning of April. Now, spring is beautifully here.

Our Farmer's Market opened this Tuesday. There were many folks with herbs and plants to sell from their greenhouses and gardens. The Goat Cheese lady brought her baby goats for the children to pet. The bread lady, that everyone loves, sold out, as she usually does, before closing. The meat lady has added fruit trees to her inventory of offerings. The homemade ice cream man found his same spot that he had last year.

What is a Farmer's Market? Here, people chat with one another and meet the producers and chat some more. They chat about their problems, and their interests. The Farmer's Market is a place to get to know the people that make and grow the food we eat. I wish there was a measure for this part, for it should be included on the ingredient list. If it's not on the list, then the food isn't as potent or charged with a human-interaction factor.

My most popular medicinal teas were "Sleep Without Sheep" and my Migraine Reliever tea: "Get-it-out-of-your-Mind". Who would know? It seems like there is a lot of anxiety, restlessness and extreme distress from migraines. Such a challenging time. Our lives shouldn't do this to ourselves.

The Holden Farmer's Market is a very small market. There are regulars, though. They show up on the first day and every day until it closes; about 26 weeks from now. There are newcomers, of course, too.
I'll be there every Tuesday until the end of October when it closes. I'll be chatting with the regulars and the newcomers. I'll be getting to know the people that stroll by. I know my conversation and my well-intended smile will become an ingredient in the products they buy. I believe, it changes the potency.

It works- that is, when it includes the human-interaction factor. It works when you know who has made it, who has crafted it, when, how and why it was made. This variable in the research hasn't been tested. I believe we need to have a relationship with the people that feed us and nourish us in order for the foods and herbs that we use will work for us at their optimal best.
While it may be trendy to "buy local", I believe, there is something more happening when we do buy local, because we're doing it. We are making an effort to do so. We join CSA's. We aren't stupid. And, enough is enough. We don't want chemicalized food. If big business isn't going to look out for us (and they never have and never will) then WE must. We must.
Message here?
Get to know your local producers. Get to know your local Farmer's Market vendors. Buy local. Eat local foods. Know your ingredients. Know that they hidden ingredient in all great food is knowing the farmer that grew it for you.
Our lives depend on it.

The herbs that have served us for healing from congestion, excess fluids and coughs are well known particularly Coltsfoot, Mullein and Eucalyptus. Grieve writes that Coltsfoot used to be painted as a sign on the doorpost of an apothecary's shop. Doesn't this communicate confidence in this herb's reliability? (Pharmacies have lost their symbol for healing and care. The mortar and pestle is gone too. What does CVS, Walgreen's and Rite Aid have in common? They have a full length candy aisle and the pills are in the back.)
We have almost completely forgotten about these wonderful herbs that sooth, relieve, decongest and heal us from our sicknesses. It's time to get to know them before we have completely forgotten.

I am limited with graphic ability. Please trust that these recipes have been tried and are true. They are also very beautiful to look at. Don't rely on a picture, anyway. Just get them and experience their beauty as you sift them through your hands!

I share these recipes to encourage you to experience the healing power of herbs.
I do sell these wonderful herbs and mixes, too.
Email your requests: rjrcnm@gmail.com
Take care!

A Decongestant Steam
3 parts Peppermint
2 parts Eucalyptus
1 part Elder Flower
1 part Comfrey
1 part Lobelia
1 part Chamomile
Place a couple of tablespoons of herbs into a large wide bowl of steaming hot water.
Add a couple of drops of Eucalyptus or Peppermint essential oil.
Lean over the bowl and breath in the aromatic steam. If you can tolerate a towel over your head, try this. You'll get quite sweaty and hot. Stay no longer than 5 to 10 minutes.

Elderberry Syrup
1/2 cup dried Elderberries
1 tablespoon dried Rosehips
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon grated Ginger
5 Whole Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
Bring to a boil 20-30 minutes. Strain the herbs and spices from the water. Then add 1 cup of honey to the strained water.
Take 1 table spoon of syrup 3 times per day or as needed for cough and cold relief.

Tea for Decongestion
1 part Calendula
1 part Mullein
2 parts Peppermint
1 part Coltsfoot
1 part Eucalyptus
1/4 tsp Ginger
A pinch to an 1/8th tsp of Cayenne
Steep 1 tsp per cup for 10 minutes and drink as often as desired.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Spices are warming but they are also supportive to our overall health and well-being. And, winter is our time to realish the warming and healthful spices and herbs of Cayenne, Ginger, Horseradish and Garlic. Herbs can soften the bite while adding vitamins and minerals with every shake. It's fun to use them and invent mixes through the seasons.

So how can we use them in winter that reminds us of our summer fun with food? We think of grilling as something we do in the summer, so why not use the wonderful spices that make up a blackened Chicken or Tuna for a winter meal? The heat is welcoming while the herbs nourish us and remind us of when we have had our fresh garden grown vegetables at hand.

Here's a little Herbal Rub with a little Heat that would enliven any meal. Sprinkle on fish, chicken or roasted root vegetables.
We used it on Tuna Steaks.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

(This is a reproduction of an article from www.herbalgram.org. Please forgive the misalignment. Visit www.herbalgram.org for the best updated information on Kava. This is a fabulous website with great information!!)

Re:Kava
- A Brief Review
Pepping J. Kava: Piper methysticum American Journal of Health-Systems
Pharmacy. 1996;56:957-960.
Use
of kava kava (Piper methysticum) predates written history in the islands of the
South Pacific. Offered as a beverage during social occasions or ceremonies, the
pulverized underground portions of the kava plant are often mixed with coconut
milk. The beverage has played a role in greeting visitors, securing marriages,
and settling disputes. For at least the past twelve years, scientific
investigation into the warm and sociable effects this plant induces has led to
medicinal use for modern day anxiety.

Today, extracts standardized to
30-70% kavalactones are used for reducing daily stress and anxiety in general
populations, as well as for treating patients with anxiety of psychosomatic,
neurotic, or nonpsychotic origins. Research also shows that kava's anxiolytic
effects may extend to women entering into their menopausal years.

In
this article, Pepping states that only a few small studies have assessed kava
for anxiety; however, there have been at least six double-blind
placebo-controlled randomized (DBPCR) studies on 335 participants which have
found significant anxiolytic activity, with a meta-analysis confirming those
results. In addition to these, at least half a dozen clinical trials have
examined kava.

Many pharmaceutical sedative-hypnotics act by binding to
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. The
author writes that kavalactones may have a unique mechanism, as binding studies
to these receptors in vivo are conflicting. Kava appears to act on the amygdala
complex within the limbic system, the emotional center, of the
brain.

Kava should not be used
by pregnant or nursing women, however, or consumed with alcohol, barbiturates,
benzodiazepines, other anxiolytics, or psychopharmacological drugs. Case reports
suggest that kava may reduce the effectiveness of levodopa therapy in patients
with Parkinson's disease.

Kava offers an alternative to pharmaceutical
anxiolytics. The author advises people to proceed with caution. 'Higher doses
can affect motor function, and long-term use could lead to psychological
dependence,' he states. However, Pepping fails to cite any reference for this
last statement; and there is no strong evidence linking continual kava use with
dependence according to ethnobotanical data citing traditional use or modern
case reports where kava is frequently used in modern European clinical medicine.
In fact, one 25-week long study showed no signs of withdrawal.

It is not
recommended to use kava for more than three months without medical supervision,
a caution based on the relatively conservative safety assessments of the German
Commission E. Reports of liver toxicity associated with prolonged use of kava at
very high doses have been cited (Pizzorno JE, Murray MT. Textbook of Natural
Medicine. 2nd Ed.) as well as the exacerbation of hepatitis in patients with a
history of recurrent hepatitis, even with short-term use.